Collapsible hamper



. 1,632,269 J 1927' H. 1". BRADLEY ET AL coLLAPsIBLE HAMPER Filed May 12, 1925 2 Sheets-sheet 1 ATTORNEY 1 632,269 June 14 1927' H. T. BRADLEY ET AL COLLAPSIBLE HAMPER Filed May 12, 1925 2 Sheets-sheet 2 11 a @INVEQTRS 22 2a @g'aaflwf ATTORNEY Patented Jane 14:,

pairs stares earner orricn.

HARRY r. BRADLEY am) ream: JACOBI, or nnwaax, new JERSEY.

oonnarsrnnn Hansen.

Application filed May 12, 1925. Serial No. 29,699.

This invention relates to that class of. containers known as hampers. and more particularly to types having folding or collapsible walls.

Oneof the objects is to provide a hamper, the side and end walls of which consist of interoonnected jointed wire frames and meanscombined therewith whereby these elements are normally held erect in operative position. A further feature is in the provision of means to retain the walls when folded over the bottom so that the hamper may be con veniently stored or transported as a compact unit, when not required tor use. I

Another aim is to provide a strong rectangular hamper structure, having woven textile covering. and resting on skidspro .vided with castors or equivalent members;

permitting the structure to be readily moved over level surfaces, even when heavily loaded to capacity. pp

These and other pertinent objects are accomplished by the novel design; construction and comb nation of parts hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a material part of this disclosure, and in which v f Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hamper made in accordance with the invention, looking from the lower side. the fabric casing being partially broken away from the skeleton frame. V f Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Figure 8 is atop plar view thcreot. the frame being shown in a folded position.

Figure l is an end elevational view drawn to an enlarged scale.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view looking on line 5-5 of Figure 3.

The base of the hamper is composed of a pair of rectangular skids 10 having their ends partially bevelled upwardly and provided on their lower surfaces with anti-triction castor elements llot any preterred type to rest upon a floor, rendering the hamper easy to move thereover.

Secured rigidly on the upper surfaces of the skids adjacent their ends are metal cross bars 12 and at the center is a similar cross bar 1". these bars retaining the skids in spaced relation.

The bars 12 are sheared, as at 141, inwardly from both edges, near their ends to produce pairs of pads 15, through which the fastening means are passed, and intermediate the pads are sockets 16, their upper surfaces being level with the main portions of the bars which are raised slightly above the intermediate bar 13. v

Said intermediate bar is slit lengthwise at each end to produce three prongs, the middle prongs being bent at right angles upwardly to constitute stops 17, the p irpose ot which will become apparent.

The outer prongs are bent over upon the surface of the bar to form sockets 18. their terminals extending inwardlv to constitute pads through which the securing means pass.

Pivotally engaged in the sockets 1.8 are the out-turned ends of rods'20, normally extending in doubled relation to the top of the structure when raised vertically in contact with the stops 17, and are bent to present pairs of opposed, integrally connected eyes 21. y

Loosely engaged in the eyes 21 are closed loops'formed at one end of links 22, their other ends having similarly closed loops en gaged in eyes 23 formed by coiling rods having transverse members 24 and right angularly extending members 25.

Said members 25, constituting the corner posts of the structure when extended vertically, are inbent at the lower portions to engage'in the sockets 16, passing below the bars 12 to terminate in closed loops 26.

' Engaged in the loops 26 are the eyes of couplings 27 set'in one of theends of coiled tension springs 28, the other ends of the springs having similar couplings 29 connected in paired relation on each side of the structure by links 30.

The effect of the springs 28 is communicated to the corner elements 25 causing them to rotate on the axis of the sockets 16,

and, due to the leverage obtained by the ele-' ments 26, the corner elements are forcibly raised into a normally vertical position.

It is to be noted that the elements 25 swing in planes lengthwise of the structure and that the central support elements 20 are pivoted to move in a mitting them to be closely folded over the intermediate bar 18,'at which time the links 22 will be positioned substantially parallel with them and are overlaid by the elements 24, thus folding compactly.

Upon raising the elements 25, motion is transmitted through the links 22 to the elements 20, causing them also to assume an erect position, the links 22 moving through transverse plane, per-.

as sh v of a laterally angular path in closing or open.- ing the hamper.

In order to retain the parts when in a collapsed or folded position, a wire 31 has its extending ends secured to the inner side of one of the rod members 24, the wire being bent to present a doubled hook 32, adapted to engage in the bight 33 ofa similar wire having its ends 34 secured to the opposite rod member, these-elements being sufficiently resilient to permit of engagement or separation at will, thereby securing the frame members or releasing them as may be desired.

It is to be understood that the skeleton frame thus provided is equipped with a covering, generally designated by the numeral 35, this covering being preferably of a strong woven. textile fabric, as canvas, duck or the like, hemmed at its edges and secured to the several frame elements by stitching own. 7 As the covering is highly flexible, it presents no'im-pedi-ment to folding the structure or prevent use of the latching device, the elements 32 and 33 extending through in a. manner readily accessible for operation. While a certain preferred embodiment of this device has been shown and described, itv

will be understood that changes in the form, arrangement, proportion, size and details thereof may be made without departing from the scope of the inventionas delined in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1- 1. A collapsible hamper com-prising a pair spacedskids of rectangular cross section provided with bevelled ends having end and intermediate cross bars, a frame composed of corner, side and rim members intercon-- nected by integral hooks and eyes at their outer ends and simultaneously foldable over said skids, all of the corner and side members having permanently hinged connections with the skidsand presenting a regular rectangularstructure when erect, and a woven covering at the bottom, sides and ends of the structure above the skids and cross bars thereof.

2. A collapsible hamper comprising a pair of spaced skids of rectangular cross section provided with bevelled ends having end and intermediate cross bars, a frame composed of loosely connected corner and side members, having hooks and eyes at their outer ends, said side members being foldable laterally inward and said corner members folding longitudinally thereover, links connecting the corner and side members to constitute rim members when the corner members are erectand to effect simultaneous folding of said corner and side members, stops on the intermediate cross bar limiting the outward movement of said side members, and hinge elements positively engaging said corner and side members to the skids.

3. A collapsible hamper comprising a pair of spaced skids having end and intermediate cross bars, glide castors on the undersurface of said skids, rods hingedly engaged at the ends of the end bars and connected in pairs at their outer extremities to extend across the ends of the hamper, other rods hingedly engaged at the ends of the inter mediate bar, stops for the last named rods, links loosely connecting the upper ends of the last named rods with the corner-members to permit inward folding of the same, and a flexible covering secured'to said members tov form a rectangular container.

4. A collapsible hamper comprising a pair of spaced skids rigidly connected in spaced relation, a frame composed of end and side members hingedly connected to said skids, said side members being folclable transversely over the skids and said end members longitudinally thereover and being interconnected with said sidemembers for simultaneous fold-ingmovement, resilient means for normally raising and retaining all of said members in an erect position, and means for securing said members when in a folded position.

5. A collapsible hamper comprising a pair of spaced-skids rigidly connected in spaced relation, a frame composed of end and side members hingedly connected to said skids, said sidemembers being foldable transversely over the skids and said end members being foldable inwardly thereover, links connecting the side and end members, said links constituting parts of the rim of the structure, a flexible fabric covering secured to the rim, side and end members, said end members having downwardly extending extremities, and tension springs engaging between the extremities at each side of the frame, said springs acting to erect the end members and exert a similar effect upon the side members through said links.

6. A collapsible hamper comprising a pair of spaced skids rigidly connected in spaced relation, a frame composed of end and side members hingedly connected to said skids, said side members being foldable transversely over the skids and said end members being foldable inwardly, links connecting the side and end members at the sides of the frame, projections extending from the end members below the plane of their hinges, springs connecting said projections at the framesides to exert a raising effect, a flexible covering for the frame, and a hook and keeper device fixed on the respective end members of the frame to extend through said casing for-retaining said members when in a collapsed position. Y

7. A collapsiblehamper comprising a pair of skids, means on said skids to facilitate movement, a frame composed of interconnected side and end members to constitute a rectangular structure, said members being hingedly connected to the skids and simultaneously foldable inwardly, tension springs adja-roent said skids to exert a raising effect on said members whereby they are normally held erect, means for holding said members when collapsed, and a flexible covering se 19 cured to said members to envelope the frame.

HARRY T. BRADLEY. FRANK JACOBI. 

